Hawthorn Riches
by Katieeee
Summary: 'Merlin's balls Hermione' Ron eventually moaned, 'you're richer than…Malfoy' he finished with a flair of his arms.  'Yes Ronald, because that's always been my goal in life.' Hermione's 8th year at Hogwarts without the boys comes with a few surprises.EWE
1. Chapter 1

Hawthorn Riches Chapter 1

Prologue Spring 1946

Cara Hawthorn sat on her bed tears running down her face, she'd just had a daughter. A beautiful baby girl, who she couldn't keep, her mother was horrified when her eighteen year old had fallen pregnant. Her shrieks upon discovering the father was a Fenwick, 'not even a third generation pureblood' she had sobbed to her husband Nicolas, had echoed through the estate for days. After ten months of confinement to the Hawthorn Estate Cara was free, but she didn't want to be if she would lose her daughter, her Imogen. Cara knew in her heart that the adoptive parents would most likely rename her daughter but she wanted, no needed to do this. A family in France had been picked out, the Moragne family from a long line of squibs now classed as muggles. Her parents had chosen the family, saying if the child was magical she could go to Beauxbatons and if not they were squibs anyway, 'practically muggles' her father had said in passing, hardly taking notice of his daughters tears.

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17th April 1955

The press was in an uproar, the Hawthorn line was finished.

_The only recognised descendent of the Hawthorn line_

_Cara Adriana Selwyn nee Hawthorn,_

_died this morning in childbirth along with her stillborn son. Mr. Selwyn wasn't available for comment but our thoughts are with him and his family._

_Although this reporter can't help but wonder what will happen to the famed Hawthorn fortune._

Cara had left everything she had received from her parents to her daughter or her first magical descendent. The Selwyn's who'd at least hoped the vaults would go to them, if not the Hawthorn Estate were severely disappointed. Over in France, Jane Moragne formally Imogen Hawthorn was showing no signs of magical signs and she never did.

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Chapter 1 Goblins, Boys and School Oh My

Hermione Granger heaved a sigh of relief, the memory charms on her parents Jean and David Granger had been reversed with little bother and no hard feelings. Standing in the Leaky Cauldron after leaving her parents for the first time in a week she nodded at Tom before going out the back. For years Hermione had converted her muggle money to wizarding currency at Gringotts, but she felt if she were to be an Auror, as Kingsley had requested, a vault would be needed. Four months after the Battle of Hogwarts and Diagon Alley was bustling, more like she remembered from her early years at Hogwarts. She grimaced slightly as she entered the marble hall of Gringotts; it seemed the goblins recognised her from her break-in to the Lestrange vault and escape on the dragon. Hermione shuffled to the counter rather sheepishly where Nagnok was assigned to her case.

'A blood and magical identity test are required?' she confirmed scathingly.

Nagnok sneered at her, 'Increased security,' he replied, 'can never be too careful!' Hermione reddened at this and fell silent, allowing the tests, giving blood to be tested, her wand (walnut and dragon heartstring, 12.5 inches, unyielding) well Bellatrix's old wand she corrected and finally an examination of her magical core. With an unconvinced and slightly disbelieving look on his face Nagnok escorted Hermione through a set of ornate gold doors to an office of sorts and asked her to wait. After ten minutes Hermione noted, an extremely old and frail goblin appeared with Nagnok. Something wasn't quite right she felt as she was introduced to Gringott, the Head Goblin and founder of the bank.

Hermione Granger was shocked; her mother was an unregistered squib from the previously extinct Hawthorn line. It wasn't that she was adopted, that was common knowledge it was the magical part that she couldn't get her head around. As she thought about it they travelled deeper underground to the family vault, her inheritance. In a daze she barely noticed the dragon being herded away by Gringott, followed by him stroking one gnarled finger down the door, she waited tensely.

'Blood is required for this vault Miss Hawthorn', Gringott said breaking the silence.

Hermione made a noise of protest at the name but stepped forward anyway, her hand outstretched for the goblin. She swore under her breath as she entered the cavern, piles of precious stones, money ornaments, paintings, cases of alcohol, locked trunks and other items filled the vault.

'I'd –' Hermione squeaked before trying again, 'I'd like a statement of what this contains please, if that's possible.' her eyes wide looking at the mounds of gold again.

'This vault contains eight hundred and sixty-five million and two hundred thousand galleons, six thousand three hundred and nine sickles, four hundred and nine knuts.' Gringott rattled off, oblivious to Hermione's face. 'The other items would need to be re-valued now, but forty-two years ago they were collectively worth-' here Hermione stopped him.

'How much in muggle money, pounds, would the gold be worth?' she queried weakly. Upon hearing the response she sat down, hard.

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'How much?' Harry asked not believing he'd heard correctly the first time.

Hermione looked down at the parchment 'Four billion, three hundred and twenty-six million, one thousand, eight hundred and sixty pounds and twenty four pence.' she repeated.

Ron was silent, he hadn't spoken a word since Hermione had said who she was descended from and how much she was worth. Harry looked around the library of number twelve Grimmauld Place as if for ideas, finally he nudged Ron trying to elicit a response to say next to the equally shocked Hermione.

'Merlin's balls Hermione!' Ron eventually moaned, 'you're richer than…Malfoy!' he finished with a flair of his arms.

'Yes Ronald, because that's always been my goal in life.' Hermione said tersely. Harry seemed to have recovered his voice for he was now asking if she was serious. 'Deadly' she replied her voice muffled by her hands, 'God boys!' she now giggled slightly hysterically, 'think what Malfoy would say if he knew I had pureblood ancestors!'

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4th August 1998 Morocco

Megan lay on the deck of the boat with Blaise Zabini a childhood friend, the two had for years spent summers in ancestral homes in Morocco. Megan's father's home was in Ifrane a colder mountainous area with connections to France where in winter it sometimes snowed, which was where Nathan her big brother was now. Blaise's family were from Tangier a coastal area near the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It was in the Med that Megan and Blaise were sunbathing trying to forget the horrors of the Last Battle three months previously, it wasn't going so well.

Blaise was talking about the battle again, he and his family had escaped pretty much intact he thought rubbing his shoulder absentmindedly. A neutral family they had fled to Morocco leaving Blaise in Hogwarts with the understanding he would make his own way but he had gotten held up. Over the last few months he hadn't returned to Britain and had spoken to few people, Draco after his trial, Theo and briefly Ash.

He was touching his new tattoo again, in the war Blaise had been hit from behind with a stray dark curse which had destroyed his entire shoulder. Blaise had been checking if she was alive when he had happened upon her unconscious body in a ruined corridor. His shattered shoulder was repaired now but Blaise, being the poser that he was, wanted something to cover the pale scar tissue which contrasted with his dark skin. Megan sat up blinking from the sun's watery reflection to shuffle over to Blaise's side, 'Your tattoo is fine,' she reassured running one finger gently over the delicate raised skin which was slightly pink, 'it should be healed by school.'

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18th August 1998 Malfoy Manor

Narcissa Malfoy watched as her husband exited the room, pointedly not looking as her son entered. She and Draco had actively gone against the Dark Lord, she lied to his face saying The Chosen One was dead, Draco had tried to save his life in the Room of Requirement but Lucius, she heaved a sigh. Lucius was under house arrest for eighteen months and had The Trace back on his wand to monitor his usage, he wasn't taking it well. There was a decline in Ministry owls he was receiving, business ventures and everything else Lucius thrived upon. Narcissa didn't know what she was going to do without Draco, although she conceded getting his NEWTs back at Hogwarts was better than the tutor that her husband had proposed who'd said if he had to stay then Draco had to as well.

Draco sat down in the chair beside his mother, in two weeks he would be returning to Hogwarts, he hadn't set foot there since the Battle and before that when he had run away with Snape in his sixth year. This was the place where Vincent Crabbe had died, where Dumbledore, Snape and countless others had died because of him, if only he hadn't fixed the vanishing cabinet then his family would have been protected and he wouldn't have had to go into hiding in his own home for a year. Draco hadn't coped with the guilt, the Battle of Hogwarts for him ended with Daphne Greengrass stumbling across him behind a tapestry, irrational and bleeding. In a haze of panic Draco had been running towards the dungeons after Potter had saved him from the Fiendfyre in the Room of Hidden Things, on route his dark mark had burned, with the kitchens that nearby he had taken a knife to it. Not his best moment of clarity he recognised now but since then his mother was watching him like a hawk, waiting to call a house elf to force feed him anti-depression potions. Perhaps school would be easier than home maybe everyone would be ignoring the ex-deatheater.

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26th August 1998 Lovegood

Luna Lovegood kissed her father on the cheek before running downstairs to the study. The entire house had needed to be repaired after her friends had visited while she was, away…in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. It was strange to look around the renovated rooms and know her mum had never seen it like this, which was why Luna had painted the kitchen the same. The bright circular kitchen had been her mother's favourite room in the house, she used to say it was her 'outside view, inside'. Wiping at her eyes as she walked towards the door, Luna picked up her bag, held her wand tight and apperated to Addie's house. Adelaide was a fellow Ravenclaw who lived with her older brother Asher in Runcorn House. The two girls were now going to be in the same year as Asher, much to his dismay, since he was repeating his 7th year to get his NEWTs.

Adelaide opened the door to Luna, giving her a hug before asking after her, 'How have you been? Honestly, none of the usual 'I've got nargles looking after me' or any of the other stuff. How are you coping since you got out of St. Mungos?'

Luna had been recovering since her ordeal at Malfoy Manor and the Battle of Hogwarts (as the papers were calling it) although she wouldn't dream to think of not returning to school next week. The school she had helped rebuild and repair the damage caused from the last battle it had seen. Holding her glass more level she curled up into the back of the cushions, Addie mirrored her.

'Have you received your Hogwarts letter yet? I got mine this morning –' Luna paused 'it's odd receiving a letter from the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall.'

Addie nodded agreeing silently, since they had started at Hogwarts they had had four Head teachers, 'Yeh, Dumbledore, Umbridge, McGonagall, Snape and now McGonagall again!' Addie smiled sadly, recalling, suddenly she smirked as she remembered Asher would be in her year.

'Asher's going to be so irritated by that!' Luna grinned using her uncanny ability to know what people were thinking and feeling before looking to the door expectantly.

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26th August 1998 Runcorn House 

Asher smiled over the letter Blaise had sent him, enclosed was a picture of the tattoo covering his only noticeable battle scar, a feminine hand would come into shot from behind the camera gesturing for Blaise to twirl. Not knowing the language the tattoo looked like ornate lines, squiggles really, he made a note to never tell Blaise that. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the floo call fire, he stood walking over to the hollow in the wall at head height to speak to Theo.

He could hear Addie answering the front door, must be Luna he surmised those two always knew when the other was around and he hadn't heard the bell, he returned his attention back to Theo Nott. Ash took in his friend's taut jaw and invited him through, within a few moments he was beside Ash on the rug by the fire.

'How're you holding up?' he asked.

Theo had been called in to provide evidence against his father and was finding relationships hard at home. Theo began to tell what it was like at Nott Hall, it seemed to Asher that Theo's mum hadn't agreed with her only son and felt her husband was innocent because his crimes were in her words 'only against muggle filth or deserving mudbloods'. Asher again offered up his house as a place his mate could stay, with his father being hunted by Aurors he was legally the head of the Runcorn family, Theo wavered before tentatively agreeing. To take his mind off of it Asher proposed a trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies, the letters had come that week from the Headmistress and her Deputy Professor Flitwick. Theo said yes so they traipsed downstairs to interrupt his sister and Luna to invite them to buy their Hogwarts items.

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Luna was giggling with Addie when she noticed Hermione, Harry and Ron exiting Madame Malkins, a small crowd of well-wishers and reporters trailing after them. The trio spotted them and made their way over to see Luna, the afternoon sun glinting off shop windows giving everyone in the street a glow. Hermione was first over her bushy hair waving behind her before she engulfed Luna in a hug. 'Luna how are you?' she asked pointedly, referring to her recovery since their shared experience of torture at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange in Malfoy Manor. Harry and Ron stood to the side looking slightly uncomfortable at being left with Addie who they vaguely recognised while Luna reassured Hermione of her good health.

Asher sped up from where he was, opposite Gringotts at the entrance to Knockturn Alley; Theo was beside him now as they reached his sister, Luna and the saviours of the Wizarding World. There was a silence as the boys took each other in, breaking it with a safe topic Asher asked, 'Are you three buying your school supplies?' nodding towards their packages. 'Nope' Ron replied a streak of pride evident in his voice, 'King asked us to join the Auror Training Program.' Ash grimaced at that, typical preferential treatment, no NEWTs needed for these three he thought watching Potter turn his attention back to Weasley. 'We'll be starting in a month.' he finished now grinning at his companions. Theo looked surprised at this news, 'Hermione, I thought you said you were coming back to school? You changed your mind?' Hermione shook her head reassuring Theo of her plans, 'I'm still getting my NEWTs', she said from between Harry and Ron, 'I might still join the boys afterwards, depends how it goes really.' Harry gave a sheepish grin at that, she was always joking that she couldn't leave them alone or they would cause havoc.

The Golden Trio as the papers had dubbed them said goodbye to the four, 'We said we'd meet Blaise at two.' Asher said as they parted. 'Oh!' Hermione interjected before they could leave, 'Can you ask Megan to return my owls, 'cause I really need to speak with her.' Addie agreed for her brother who seemed confused over how she knew Megan would be with Blaise. They eventually parted, the trio leaving them to their lunch while they then went into a small little known bookshop which Hermione had found, the boys protesting half-heartedly.

'Geez Hermione!' Ron cried as she made her way to the counter with her arms full for a second time, this time levitating more books behind her, 'What are you researching this time or is it for school…'cause if it is for school believe me you don't need all this!' he said taking in the twenty or so obscure titles stacked beside him. Hermione shook her head with a small smile, her voice low 'I'm researching the veil, you know the one Sirius-' Ron sobered quickly before glancing back at Harry who he could just see in the dim light was still in the shelves 'For Harry.' he clarified 'Just don't tell him, he's had enough on his plate we don't need him being…disappointed.' Hermione nodded at that before paying for her books, shrinking them down into her beaded bag which was charmed feather light. Harry appeared at her elbow, watching what she was using 'Memories' he said touching his mokeskin bag around his neck, Ron on reflex patted his shirt pocket which held his deluminator. The trio smiled knowingly at each other as they climbed the stairs, which were level with the uppermost bookshelves, exiting The Book Cellar.

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1st September 1998 Kings Cross 

Harry and Ron watched the red Hogwarts Express leave the platform, Hermione waving from a compartment window her eyes bright. 'It feels wrong', Harry said to Ron, 'I mean apart from that blip in second year we've always been on that train with 'Mione.'

The two boys continued to watch the train even as it continued out of sight, a few people were noticing who were in their midst and were pointing them out to young children who squealed and looked awestruck. Ron smirked as reporters apperated onto the platform, he nudged Harry who pulled himself away from watching the families to grimace at the approaching swarm.

'Mate could be worse.' Ron reassured him Harry gave him a look which clearly said how, 'At least there's still no Rita Skeeter!' Harry laughed at that 'Yeh' he agreed as the cameras flashed around them, 'must remember to thank Hermione for that one!'

'Come and talk to me Hermione. I know for a fact you can't see them still.' Megan Jones called to her friend who had been standing at the window for the past five minutes.

Hermione sat next to her and picked at the sleeve of her shirt glancing intermittently at Megan through her hair. God this was a lot harder face to face, especially since Megan would know exactly what it would mean to be the heir to the Hawthorn riches. She looked to Megan who now seemed content to stroke her dog Labyrinth while she waited for Hermione to pluck up the courage to speak. The rules at Hogwarts about small issues such as pets had become more lax as Hogwarts couldn't afford to loose anymore prospective students over such trifle things. As she watched the forked tail of the part Crup part Labrador wag she wished she had Crookshanks to calm her, but Crooks was at home with her parents as he had been since Australia while she was on the run. Deep breath she counselled herself, she glanced to the door as she steeled herself to tell about her newfound heritage.

'Merlin Hermione just spill already. I warded the door while you faffed around at the window, you're good to talk.'

This seemed to register with Hermione who began her story, as she told of her mother's parentage the torches flickered on although neither noticed. Hermione told her longest female friend of her inheritance, her parents shock and her mother's refusal to take any money, the Hawthorn Estate, the lands dotted around the world and businesses she now owned and the partnerships she held. The girls spoke non-stop through out the journey, advice and questions being thrown around like sweets, it felt good to have someone who knew exactly what she had received but would treat her no differently.

They changed subjects once they had exhausted that topic, as they stepped off the train, Hermione scanned the area reflexively her hand on her wand until they reached a thestral drawn carriage. The girls stopped conversing as they saw its black leathery body, this was a true symbol of death Hermione thought sadly as she thought about those who had died. Megan was watching the students around her one foot on the step into the carriage, most of these students, kids really were watching the creatures with a sick fascination and horror as they realised why they could see them. Too young for death she thought as she settled down in the carriage, vaguely noticing the lack of a squeeze there was this year.

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AN - This story has been rattling around in my head for ages I finally got it typed up when I realised Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows was out in a few days!


	2. Chapter 2

Hawthorn Riches Chapter 2

It was windy Hermione noticed as she glanced up at the ceiling in the Great Hall and the sky was overcast, she looked back down taking in the Great Hall again. It was early only half past seven although Hermione had been up for a few hours now. It was habit more than anything to get up at that time, remnants of her time on the run with the boys, that and it was quieter now, Hermione was still wary in large crowds. Constant Vigilance had been Mad Eye Moody's motto though life and it had served them well, this was one of the reasons that she sat with her back to the wall surveying the tables over her Charms textbook. The tables were slowly filling up as she sat observing, the new first years had practically tumbled into their seats, travelling in groups of three, they had looked nervous almost as if they were unsure whether the seat was claimed.

Up at the teacher's table the new Head of Gryffindor, Professor Belby was trying to subtly gauge whether the whole of his house was present so he could hand out timetables. The dark haired man kept glancing at the other teachers as if for an idea, Hermione could have told him not to bother, every teacher at the table was either determined that the new additions would learn as they had or were too involved in thought to notice. The new staff posts had been announced at the feast last night, four new teachers although some of the previous ones had changed roles. Hermione caught the eye of her new potions teacher Professor Belby nodding helpfully at him to say everyone was there. The curly haired man looked grateful as he stood from his seat to walk to the table. It was then that Megan appeared beside her after noticing what was happening when she was at the Slytherin table visiting Blaise, she slid into her seat as Hermione's watch changed to eight o'clock.

The two girls received their timetables comparing them for classes together, 'We have Arithmancy with Professor Vector. What?' she said glancing at Megan who'd groaned upon reading Wednesday's column.

'Uurgh I don't have to be up until eleven for Care of Magical Creatures today.' she said looking at her watch. 'I'm going back to bed once we've seen Pomfrey, I need a hangover potion.'

Hermione was surprised at this admission; Megan usually had her own supply from home for such occasions as Blaise's birthday parties on the night of the first. The girls stood in synchrony, Megan who seemed to be regaining her balance couldn't face the thought of food. Falling silent they walked into the Entrance Hall and up the marble staircase, on the second floor Hermione noticed the repaired stone gargoyle which guarded the entrance to the Headmistress' Office – no wait she meant the ruined stone gargoyle, for that was what she could see, the walls crumbling further up the corridor.

_The voice of Voldemort echoed through the castle, on the ground covered in glass was a small boy shaking under on of the windows, she approached him. The blue-eyed Ravenclaw seemed to be in shock, his mouth was opening and closing but no sound escaped. 'Come with me,' Hermione knelt down to his level, 'I'll get you out of the castle –' the boy took her hand, his fingers felt slippery. A crash of metal sounded down the corridor, amplified by the stone walls, she looked beside her at the source of the noise. The door to the trophy room flew open blasting into a window opposite; a large deatheater was bearing down on them, weapons from the armour gallery hovering around him. Hermione pushed the boy behind her body as she brought up her wand, feeling hopeless. _

_She would save him…this time she would save him…this time she would manage it._

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Draco watched as Madame Pomfrey bustled around evidently in her element, she was spooning out a bright blue potion into smaller bottles, she checked Draco was still sitting on the bed and Ash was beside him on the chair before she entered her office. Draco glared at Ash who shrugged it off he had forced Draco up to the Hospital Wing right after breakfast to receive a check-up, Pomfrey had then promptly gone haywire. The diagnostic charm had shown residual poisons in his bloodstream, courtesy of his father who'd been under the belief that if Draco managed to build up immunity over the summer his only heir would be safe at Hogwarts. Pomfrey had muttered all sorts of expletives at this finding, Draco had fleetingly wondered what she would have thought of the knowledge that being poisoned and being a test dummy was Lucius' way of showing affection. The charm had then glowed blue and yellow in places which according to Ash meant depression and insomnia, he could have told them that, not that he would or anything…it must have been a more in-depth version Draco had though mildly, those symptoms didn't usually register. Madame Pomfrey was currently making up bottles of potions he should take, the dosage written on the side, she was under the misguided impression Draco would be returning voluntarily if he needed it.

One of the double doors into the Hospital Wing opened; a girl entered glancing briefly behind her before walking backwards again. The Slytherins watched as the long dark hair swung back into place, but not before Draco had identified her as Megan Jones, Blaise's Gryffindor friend. Following Megan was Granger, Draco noted with surprise what was she doing here, he paused in his thoughts. Then again the mudblood looked ill, her cheekbones were sharp lines in her gaunt face and her eyes looked too big for her face. Granger's eyes were currently darting around the room as if seeing something they couldn't, her wand was clamped firmly in her hand as if ready to fight. Megan turned to face them at last; she raised her wand before Draco had stopped looking at Granger 'Protego'. Draco looked confused at this; why on earth would she cast that. Megan didn't give out anymore information than a wry smile and a muttered trust me. Ash stepped out from between the beds one eye on the Gryffindors to retrieve Pomfrey from the potions room through her office. Draco turned back to the sight of the taller girl trying to talk to Granger who had stopped just inside the doors with no success.

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Hermione blinked as the scene around her disappeared, she was in the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey was directly in front of her and Megan was hanging onto her wand arm. Hermione was led to a bed from which she could see Draco Malfoy watching her intently and Asher Runcorn hovering beside him watching her wand warily. How odd she thought rather detachedly, she could have sworn this wasn't where she had been previously. Hermione accepted the potions the nurse was summoning feeling the effects seep through her body like slipping into a hot bath. Madame Pomfrey was ushering Megan to retrieve the hangover potion herself from the cabinet in the corner while she was busy with Draco Malfoy. Hermione glanced to her watch, it was ten to nine, she slid her legs off the bed, she had Potions she couldn't be late. 'Trying to escape Granger?' Hermione was going to get that prat back; turning on the spot she saw the angry glare of Madame Pomfrey. Okay think, she berated herself, how do you talk your way out of this one then.

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Double Potions was different from any she had ever attended, the first difference was that Seraphina was now in a class of effectively 8th years being one of the few 7th years who returned in Potions. The second difference was that instead of the Potions teacher being the Head of Slytherin it was instead Gryffindor with Professor Belby. The third most noticeable difference was that Asher and Draco followed Hermione Granger into the room all three talking without incident, now that was rare. There were only seven students in the NEWT class and everyone had sat themselves down in the front row with one seat free beside them for the three missing students. Seraphina watched as Asher sat beside Theo, Stephen Cornfoot from Ravenclaw at the next table on his left. Draco strode over to Blaise and Theo sitting between them which left the seat beside her free for Hermione Granger. The girl sat down smiling slightly at Seraphina who stopped watching the class to introduce herself, 'Seraphina Rivers, I'm a Slytherin 7th year.' The Gryffindor attempted to introduce herself, Seraphina smirked at this everyone knew the war hero she explained to an embarrassed Hermione. Professor Belby stood from behind his desk his grey robe settling around him once more, he gave out a quiz to the students, 'This is a test of any knowledge you have actually retained not the information you can cram in at the last minute.' still nobody looked pleased at this reassurance, least of all Hermione Granger she noticed. Seraphina scanned down her questions the first page was filled with basic knowledge which she had learnt by her 2nd year such as bases and temperatures for potions; it was when she eventually turned to the fourth page that it became difficult. There were unfinished potion lists with ingredients which had been removed and a substitute was to be given along with reasoning and any effects this could have. Her hand paused as she reread the side-effects of a potion and a counter she was to give she jotted something down before moving to the question asking about the various angles of degree for cutting ingredients. Out of the corner of her eye Seraphina could see Hermione scribbling away her writing cramped in the small spaces she scoffed slightly as Hermione stretched out her hand, dipping her quill again. Blaise was stretching back on his chair his quiz on the Professor's desk along with Stephen Cornfoot's who resting his head on his table waiting. Seraphina finished off her answer to the last question, Hermione's quill was slowing down as she too came to a stop, everyone was finished from what she could see, the parchments suddenly flew off the table to Professor Belby as he stood surveying the class.

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'I'm going to demonstrate how to brew this potion.' he said looking at the class, 'You should take notes because next time in class you'll be making it.' Blaise watched as the teacher waved his wand at the blackboard the words, 'Wolfsbane Potion' appeared, ah so he was a relative of that Belby family, Blaise surmised. Blaise racked through his memory for the Belby family tree, Marcus Belby was a 6th year Ravenclaw, and his Uncle Damocles invented the Wolfsbane Potion so this must be his cousin, Damian Belby. Blaise was pleased with his deductions, he watched the Potion teacher carefully although he didn't bother to write notes, no point. He grinned to himself, his photographic memory always annoyed the teachers, this was even better because Professor Belby didn't know about it. His smile fell off his face slightly as the teacher just glanced at him before continuing to explain the timing involved. His arm slipped off the desk jarring his head, he turned to look at Draco who had purposefully knocked his elbow 'You look like a Hufflepuff.' Draco said his lip curling, 'You want to maybe rein back your emotions!' Blaise just smiled wider at Draco ignoring his request, Draco rolled his eyes in response and continued writing notes. Blaise peered over to Hermione's desk; she seemed to be so concentrated on the potion's development that she kept forgetting to take notes. It wasn't his problem though, she'd learned early on that even though he received near perfect scores he couldn't explain anything he did. It usually went to Theo if she needed help with school work which was rare he admitted. Professor Belby was showing the completed potion to the class now explaining because of its shelf life it was going to be sent to St. Mungo's to be used in their wards. 'If your potions on Monday are a suitable standard I'll floo them over to the hospital as well.' The class stood as he told them they could leave, 'Don't forget to look over your notes before next class.' Professor Belby said quickly before people could leave the dungeons.

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Neville Longbottom placed his Anemone nemorosa on the bench table from the shelf where he had been working on it as the rest of the NEWT class entered the greenhouse. Neville had been in the greenhouse for the last hour, cultivating his very own windflower which his Gran had given to him for his birthday. The plant was one of many that Professor Sprout had decided they would study this year on top of that the class would be expected to look after a plant of their choosing as a separate project and to work in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout. Neville smiled at Hermione as she entered, she walked over to him so he took the time to watch the rest of the class enter. He had received a lot more attention since the Battle of Hogwarts, it was odd to be waved and smiled at when walking down corridors, to hear greetings directed at him especially since he was so soundly punished last year with the Carrows. He smiled shyly back at the Ravenclaws as they joined him and Hermione on one side of the table. The Slytherins stood opposite, the four spread out so Draco Malfoy was across from him, and Asher Runcorn was over from Hermione and his sister, Adelaide. While Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini were opposite Terry Boot and Kevin Entwhistle, the four Slytherins and the five former DA members, Neville thought it rather ironic. Terry especially looked as if he still held a grudge against the entire house.

Neville watched Professor Sprout show the correct method in which to cut the roots of a windflower, 'Can anyone tell me any other names it has and why you must, always be careful around the Anemone nemorosa.' He listened with half an ear as Hermione gave multiple names and explanations to this dangerous plant, as she started to give its musky smell and toxic effects such as mouth ulcers and burning throat sensations Neville zoned out completely, he'd already read this chapter and knew the plants effects. Neville turned to look at Professor Sprout who was nodding when Draco Malfoy caught his eye. Malfoy was concentrating fully on Hermione, it wasn't that odd since she was talking it was just the look on his face, a pensive almost calculating look. Neville kept an eye on him throughout the lesson but barely had a chance to catch him in the act of looking again when concentrating on his fatality causing plant.

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In Transfiguration Hermione sat in her usual spot in the front row next to Megan, facing the replacement for Professor McGonagall, a middle aged man, Professor Dorny. Hermione recognised the man's name this was Jacob Dorny, he was one of the few animagus this century. Hermione nudged Megan who raised an eyebrow in response, she explained rapidly the parrot animagus of their teacher before turning back to the dark haired man. As she sat and listened to the teacher talk about human transfiguration she remembered Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret, she grinned while turning to face her partner. The class was instructed to think of a mammal such as a monkey which was similar to a human as it would be easiest to do. Hermione lifted her wand visualising a chimpanzee while saying the spell and completing the complicated wand movements. She blinked as multiple spells shot off around the classroom, Megan was successfully a chimp – except for she realised, causing her to laugh hysterically, she still had her voice which made for an odd look. Luna had correctly transfigured her fellow Ravenclaw into a Spider Monkey as she told Professor Dorny, who nodded as he removed the spell so Mandy could attempt it on Zacharius Smith. Turning to look at the Slytherin boys behind them the two girls looked for a moment for Draco Malfoy who seemed to have disappeared, 'Draco's a Pygmy Marmoset,' reassured Blaise who had reached over with one hand to his friends chair, 'see here he is!' On his hand clinging to his fingers was a tiny furry monkey. Hermione couldn't believe that the cute handful of fluff was Malfoy, but then Blaise swore as he lifted his finger to inspect the damage inflicted, yeah that was more like him. Professor Dorny was undoing the transfigurations and awarding points to full transfigurations, Luna and Mandy received ten points for their Golden Lion Tamarin and Spider Monkeys while their Hufflepuff companion attempted the spell. Blaise Zabini was waiting nervously as a human Draco turned to him with a smirk. Hermione shook her head at their antics as she too was partly transfigured into a chimpanzee except for her lack of tail and her feet. As Professor Dorny turned her back there was only one other transfigured person in the room, Daphne Greengrass. Daphne was currently flying around the room as a hummingbird; a smug Seraphina was telling the teacher she could do most mammal transfigurations. Hermione listened to Megan who was explaining that the Slytherin girl was a Transfiguration genius, 'I've even heard she is an animagus, it'll be something from her American Indian heritage which gives her that edge.' said Megan in a whisper as the class exited the room.

――――――――――

'Have you looked up more on the Hawthorns?' said Megan as she dumped her books on her bed.

Hermione nodded, 'Yes I found a book on extinct family names and they mentioned -only bloody book which did mind you- the Hawthorns.' She paused reaching for the book in her trunk, 'Here it is.' she said with a huff lugging the large book onto her pillow. Flicking through the pages she came to one titled 'Hawthorn Genealogy', 'That's my mum,' she said pointing to a bubble which read ''Imogen Hawthorn, born 1946' that was her name before she was adopted.' Following the line above it showed Cara Adriana Selwyn nee Hawthorn. 'That's my Grandmother she died in childbirth married to him, Marius Selwyn. He wasn't my Grandfather, I can't find who that was.' she explained to Megan who was kneeling over the tome. 'The next edition of this book,' she gestured to it frustrated, 'had no mention of my mother even being born!' She ran a hand through her hair and sighed 'It's like the family was ashamed, wanted to remove all evidence.'

Megan agreed it wasn't that unusual for illegitimate children to be adopted by other families, but they almost always showed up on self updating family trees , maybe it was time for a visit to the Hawthorn Estate she told Hermione.

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Hermione served herself green beans and lasagne from the dish to her right on the long Gryffindor table it was a long day today, she still had Astronomy at nine before she could go and sleep. Hermione tuned into Megan who was trying to think up an excuse for why they would need to go to a house they had never seen to find something they didn't even know would be there. 'Or we could tell McGonagall that you need to speak to any portraits there to – oh I don't know this is bloody difficult.' Megan said her elbow narrowly missing Dean's plate as she let it fall. She suddenly started to smirk, a very Slytherin smirk which caused Hermione to ask her what she was thinking, it must be good.

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'It has recently come to my attention that I am descended from the Hawthorn family line, as I have an Estate which is cared for by house elves I would like to talk to them. I wish to ask them questions about whether they wished to be free or wanted to stay in service to me, and was hoping you would allow myself and Megan Jones to visit, maybe a Hogsmede weekend we could floo over or apperated.' Hermione paused trying to gauge the look on Professor McGonagall's face. It was a rather brilliant idea of Megan's to get them into the Estate to see the family tree and if she did so happen to come across any house elves…

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It was almost half eleven nearly curfew and Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Hermione were walking along the corridor to the Fat Lady, the boys traipsed up to their dorm room calling goodnight while Hermione went to hers. Megan was getting changed for bed when the door opened, 'What did she say? Can we go? Did she believe you?' Hermione just laughed at her friend who currently had one arm stuck in her top before retelling what had happened, explaining that they had permission to go the weekend before her birthday the 12th and 13th, after their last class of the day. Megan immediately jumped up to her bag to see when her classes finished on Friday, 'Care of Magical Creatures with Hag rid so I'll be done by five. You'll wait right?' She agreed, that would give her an hour to recheck her packing after Defence Against the Dark Arts had finished. It sounded like a plan, now they just had to get through the nine days or so until then she thought as she climbed into bed. She downed the respective potions Madame Pomfrey had instructed her to take before settling back in her pillows, her wards around them shimmered slightly as she drifted off to sleep.

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AN – Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows was awesome I saw it twice! Sorry about the wait, what did you think of it though?


	3. Chapter 3

Hawthorn Riches Chapter 3

Madame Hooch had her six NEWT students up in the air immediately; the morning light was steadily becoming stronger as the sun journeyed higher over the forest, as they completed drills. There were many obstacles floating in the air above the quidditch pitch, Daphne Greengrass one of two girls in the class had just executed a near perfect sloth roll under one of Hooch's barrels. 'Bring in your right arm Greengrass!' she called shooting over to correct the girl's posture, 'Again' she said, 'but this time keep your elbow in. Good.' Daphne rolled her eyes once Madame Hooch had turned away, no need getting caught by the yellow eyed witch. Anthony Goldstein grinned in response the Ravenclaw had no interest in playing professionally so knew how it felt to be treated like you were in training for the Quidditch World Cup. Malfoy was currently being berated over the state of his hairpin dives, Tony could hear Hooch from over the other side of the pitch asking if he practiced his dives at all over the summer, Tony could just hear the pureblood's response, that it was a bit difficult to practice with having to appear at trials for his, and his family and friends war crimes. He was reminded of what he was supposed to be doing upon hearing a shout from Stephen Cornfoot his fellow Ravenclaw, he turned his Nimbus 2004 towards Stephen and Wayne Hopkins who had successfully completed their circuits and were ready to begin their Wronski Feints.

The three Slytherins were practicing multiple types of dives; Draco was now on the Fadbone Feint, his broom making a zigzagging motion climbing higher before suddenly shooting towards the ground in a parody of catching the snitch. Seraphina was faring much better at the hairpin dive managing to keep the correct shape (that of a U or a hairpin as the name implies) as she pulled up the broom under Madame Hooch's critical eye. Daphne was currently attempting a Golding Manoeuvre much to Madame Hooch's delight, who had turned to watch the girl rush past her on her broom before rising up into the air at such an angle her back was facing the ground before flying down to the ground, now the right way up, the entire manoeuvre forming a triangle. The entire way through the manoeuvre commenting to anyone within earshot on how Daphne would make a wonderful professional quidditch player or stunt flyer if she put her mind to it and really it was such a waste she had her heart set on healing.

A sharp whistle cut through the crisp air and the group swiftly made it over to Hooch to find out what they needed to do for next lesson. Draco listened as a project was set out for them for a week on Friday, to research either a Quidditch or flying manoeuvre, write a four foot essay on it and to be able to perform it in class. 'Those whose manoeuvre requires more than one person should see me before Tuesday. Class dismissed.' Madame Hooch turned and headed back to the castle the two Slytherin girls following her while the Anthony Goldstein and the lone Hufflepuff, Wayne Hopkins stayed behind for a moment on the pitch. It was only Draco and Stephen Cornfoot who headed towards the showers in the locker room, they both had Arithmancy next and their respective common rooms in the dungeons and in the towers being too far away to reach before class.

There was only ten minutes until he had to go to class so Draco reluctantly turned off the soothing hot water and grabbed a towel off the hook. The cool air hit him as he exited the steam filled showers so he wrapped his towel more securely around his waist before walking over to the bench where his school clothes were piled neatly, as he did he noticed the Ravenclaw who was just finishing. Stephen closed his locker door putting away his flying gear. 'I'll see you up there Draco', he said over his shoulder as he walked across the room, opening the door to the pitch let in a blast of cold air which hit Draco's damp skin making him shiver slightly. 'I'll make your excuses if you're late.' Draco nodded in response as he pulled on his trousers moving his wand to the pocket from his teeth, he dressed quickly forgoing his usual routines in order to get to Professor Vector's class in time, the red headed woman would be pissed if he was late on only the second day of classes.

* * *

He made it just in time, Professor Vector nodded to him as he entered the classroom as the last people were unpacking their bags, Draco slid into his seat with a muffled sigh. He loved flying, he loved quidditch but Madame Hooch with her hawk eyes missed nothing. Draco rolled his shoulder experimentally – _Merlin that hurt_ – according to Hooch his hairpin dives were messy and needed practice if he ever wanted to play professionally, which he had to admit he sometimes hoped he could. But honestly there was only so many times you could rocket towards the ground at practically full sped and pull up vertically to shoot into the sky without pulling a muscle. He'd have to go see Madame Pomfrey, who'd just fuss over him, usually he wouldn't mind the attention but Pomfrey was a bit overly interested in him already.

Professor Vector was talking about the power of four compared to the power of seven and in what situations it would be advisable to switch one for the other. Draco had been writing notes when he felt eyes on him; he turned to his left to face the blonde Ravenclaw with Gryffindor tendencies, he hitched a scowl on his face in preparation. Luna Lovegood just blinked at him once with her wide silvery-grey eyes, 'You know if you ate three scales from a Blibbering Humdinger your shoulder would be fixed, Daddy ran an article on it once.' Luna fiddled with a radish earring for a moment seeming not to notice the change of expression on Draco's face. 'Most people seem to use murtlap essence though–' she broke off here as if to wonder why people would choose this poor substitute. Draco looked over her shoulder, he'd only ever spoken to the Ravenclaw a handful of times and this was what she came out with, no bloody wonder she was such a social pariah, Hermione was stifling a laugh at the conversation happening next to her. Granger who was making cutting movements across her throat with her hand and mouthing, _leave it_, he nodded once to show he understood. Luna turned back to the front of class once again as Professor Vector looked over to the three of them, her eyes glittering as she dared them to keep talking in her class, they promptly began taking notes on her lecture again.

Towards the end of class, when Professor Vector had stopped to answer a question on the effects of quadrangles on the power of the number four when used in calculations from the loud Ravenclaw, Kevin Entwhistle, Luna spoke up again. Once the teacher was drawing examples on a piece of parchment Luna spoke. 'I could swap seats with you Hermione so you could speak to Draco more easily.' Granger looked rather shocked by the offer, about as shocked as he felt he thought, before she came to her senses and reminded the blonde that they were assigned these seats and couldn't change them. Draco shook his head slightly as he bent over his bag putting his quill away, at the surprised looking girl, not that that expression was much of a change for the 7th year who seemed to look like that permanently. _Most likely the effect of having non existent eyebrows _he thought thanking his Black family genes for their darker hair, _Merlin could you imagine_. Swinging his bag over his shoulder he stood, and promptly swapped it to the right forgetting about it for a moment, Draco looked around for Blaise but it seemed he'd left with Megan Jones who he was sitting beside in class. Draco and Asher followed the two girls along the corridor, they were still discussing Luna's odd offer although Granger appeared to be getting bored with the conversation from her tone of voice which echoed along the stone corridor. Draco stopped dead when he heard what she said next, Asher looking from them to him in confusion. 'It's just I thought I should give you two a chance-' she said clearly.

Granger just looked confused as she turned to face Luna, her eyebrows creasing in the middle, 'A chance – A chance at what?'

But Luna continued as if the question hadn't been asked, 'Draco was watching you for most of the lesson –' _He hadn't…had he? Oh he had, he remembered looking across the Ravenclaw to Granger who had seemed to be a hell of a lot happier than yesterday. _It appeared Lovegood had continued after that as he heard the end of a sentence, '– he seems sad, so if you sat beside him, you know Draco better than me and he likes you better.' Luna finished as if what she said was solid fact, nonchalantly pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, totally at ease with what she had just said. Asher, who he'd forgotten was beside him as he'd been unnaturally quiet, spluttered in shock for a moment, _well he'd obviously heard the entire conversation _before Draco dragged him towards the common room, passing the girls without a word. Turning the corner he looked back to where Granger and Lovegood still stood, Luna seemed to be talking again as Hermione was becoming steadily redder, _hmm could be interesting_ he mused to himself. His scowl returned full force though as he reached Asher who was a little way in front leaning on a staircase waiting for the blond and still chuckling at the scene he'd witnessed. 'Call yourself a Slytherin!' he called as he waited for Draco to catch up, a shit eating grin passing over his face before he spoke, 'Can't even stalk Granger without a Ravenclaw noticing!' _Yes he most definitely preferred Granger to the Lovegood girl now, at this moment she ranked higher than Asher. _

* * *

Professor Binns seemed to have been shocked out of his previous teaching style by the Battle of Hogwarts. At the start of the lesson he had given out the topics he was going to cover that term and told them to research them in the library that lesson. The ghost had told his surprised students that every Friday they would be able to ask questions on what they had learned, Mondays they would listen to a lecture on new material and Thursdays they would do written work. The Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin students who made up the class agreed, for once, that this new teaching style was a welcome change. As the ghost did the role call and once he had explained what was going to be happening in his class he gave the eight students permission to leave in order to complete their research on Voldermortist and Grindelwald.

Madame Pince looked up from where she was fixing the binding on a pile of books, which an overzealous 2nd year Ravenclaw had managed to wreck when practicing spells in the library. Standing by the door were a number of Ravenclaws. The two girls closely followed by two boys from Ravenclaw made their way over to her desk slightly wary of the scowl on her face. _Good _she thought might make them more likely to be a little more careful with her books. Just over half a dozen more students followed the Ravenclaws into the library, she was going to have to try and watch them all now she mused already anticipating ways. She huffed at the students who had asked for a section on Merlin's era and Voldermortist before reluctantly telling them 'The east wing, 3rd row, 17th shelf for Merlin's era and the north corner, 11th row, 58th shelf for Dark Lords.' To Madame Pince's relief she spotted Hermione Granger at the back, _that girl would keep them in line while she was busy (as she used to do Mr Potter and Mr Weasley) not that they should need it being 7__th__ years, but sometimes those Ravenclaws…_

'What's wrong? You were fine before, now you seem a bit–' Megan waved the arm which wasn't filled with History books around while thinking of a word which wouldn't offend Hermione. A Hermione who upon being plied with potions from Madame Pomfrey had found all her emotional responses that bit harder to hide.

'I was late for astronomy.' Hermione said in an undertone to Megan as they passed the Divination section near the librarian, saving her friend from having to think of a word.

'How come? You can't have left much after me…' Megan asked, puzzled.

She groaned in response, 'It was Luna– I'll tell you later.' she amended as she noticed an interested looking Asher sitting at a table in front of her with Theo, his head turned slightly so he could hear better. 'But god it was so embarrassing…she just came out with all this stuff!'

Megan was intrigued now so led her to a table away from the two Slytherins to the corner where they wouldn't be overheard. The two Gryffindors sat at the table laying out their books and bringing out quills, ink and parchment before turning to each other. 'So spill, what was all this with Luna?' Hermione ran a hand through her hair, only succeeding in messing up the riot of curls more, before starting up the story of what happened in Arithmancy. Megan was a good listener nodding in all the correct places and gasping in others as she told of Luna telling what Draco had done in that lesson. 'I'm not going to lie that's kind of creepy if he's watching you!' Megan said spinning her quill absentmindedly in her hand. 'I mean,' she explained when Hermione turned red, 'it's just I know Slytherins better than you do, Circe I lived with my brother for long enough. I _know _there's always a reason! What I meant was that he'll be thinking of something, we just have to find out what it is!' she said with a flourish, the quill making a break for freedom across the table, splattering ink as it went. The girls looked nervously around for Madame Pince as they quickly cleared up the ink splatters on a few of her precious books. Thinking it was best to at least keep up a pretence of actually doing research, Hermione and Megan began to write notes from the books they'd chosen, continuing on with the story once they had actually made some headway with the work. Hermione picked up the book on Voldermortist, skimming through the pages until she reached the one she wanted. _Did people never learn! _When Hermione had first found out about Voldemort she had researched it as much as she could, the name, his beliefs, convicted followers a.k.a. deatheaters, she was certain this was one of the many books she'd looked at. Hermione jotted down how that Dark Lord had been defeated, _rather simple compared to what they'd had to go through with Voldemort_ she thought, although she did have to concede this was from the medieval times. All Merlin had to do was paralyse him with a full body bind and feed him to a variation of the hellhound the Lady of the Lake's pet – otherwise known as a three–headed dog like Fluffy, who was now, according to Hagrid, living happily in the Forbidden Forest. 'This is ridiculous!' she said standing up from the table and shoving the parchment she'd been working on away from her. Megan calmly marked her place in the book she was reading on the defeat of Grindelwald in 1945 by Dumbledore, before looking to see what had annoyed her best female friend now, after seven years she had learned to realise that she had to wait these moments out. Megan watched as her friend stormed off towards the international law section, wandlessly summoning multiple books off the shelves and sending them to the table again with a well practiced flick of her wrist. _Merlin_ she thought to herself as she shifted slightly to make way for a much larger book_,_ _Supreme Mugwumps of the Last Century: What did they bring To the I.C.W._, it was murder trying to keep Hermione concentrated on one specific topic for any length of time.

* * *

Addie waited for Luna to come to the Ravenclaw table, it was nearing half past six and there was still no sign of her. Addie pulled out her hair from the ponytail it was falling out of and tied it more securely again before allowing herself to look to the doors once more, no need to look too desperate for company. Tony was opposite her but really he was useless at the moment his nose so deep in his Charms book and his wand making complicated movements that she knew there was no point in disturbing him, it wasn't worth it. Lisa Turpin was just being typical Lisa and was nowhere to be seen. She knew where Kevin and Terry were, exactly where she had left them, in one of the greenhouses doing extra credit work for Herbology along with Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor. While Stephen was in the Hospital Wing visiting his little sister Dinah for a second time that day, Dinah had told a sceptical Stephen earlier that she hadn't been one of the Hufflepuffs sliding down one of the banisters in her common room. The third year had apparently just been standing at the bottom when she had been hit; Stephen wasn't buying it, as he had told Adelaide when they were in the library, 'Who got a concussion and a broken wrist from standing at the bottom of some stairs?' She looked up from her still empty goblet to the double doors as she heard them creak open again. But it was only Mandy Brocklehurst who came and sat in the space to her right, effectively breaching the gap which had formed around her due to the lack of 7th years present. The younger students wouldn't dream of trying to integrate themselves with a 7th year so Addie was grateful for the older girl's presence even if she was a bit stuck up at times. Mandy turned to her making small chat while they waited for the dinner platters to fill, Addie nodded in the correct places trying her best to sound excited over the news that the alignment of Jupiter with some other planet, Mars or maybe Neptune, was happening tonight. _This was the reason she'd dropped Astronomy at the earliest chance, you had to be paying attention to the skies all the time you couldn't put any work off for the next day, she'd tried that, the skies had changed. _The three Ravenclaws ate their meal, Tony alternating between his book and his plate so often that the girls were amused to see him try and practice a spell with his fork, waving it about with no affect until he realised what the laughter was about. It was about then that he decided to stop studying and concentrate on eating although Addie couldn't stop little smiles cross her face as she looked at him. The entire hall looked up as the noise of owls entered it, those with a subscription to the Daily Prophet were receiving an evening edition of the paper. Important news must have happened although taking a look at the staff table none of them looked very surprised by it. Addie peered over Mandy's arm to the paper she'd just taken from an owl. While Tony was flicking through his to page 4, already following the instructions under the picture of the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, looking harassed and standing outside Gringotts. Mandy turned the pages to the article, moving her arm so Addie could see better.

_Goblins Refuse To Accept New Laws_

_The goblins at Gringotts have said that they will take no part in the new laws just passed by the Wizengamot today. These laws were meant to make it impossible for criminals or those awaiting arrest by aurors or hit–wizards to have access to their Gringott accounts and therefore their funds. _

_Gringotts in a move which has shocked most wizards have said 'our gold has nothing to do with the war' and that 'never before have goblins been told to give up clients money so why would we do so now?' _

_The Minister of Magic didn't look shocked by this development, we asked him why, 'Goblins have for years been who wizards trust their money with and never before have they become embroiled in our affairs so this time really isn't any different.' When asked who put forward this idea for implementing new money laws regarding criminals the Minister sighed before replying with, 'The Wizengamot felt that these laws should be put forward for a trial period as it could help to apprehend those deatheaters still escaping Ministry control. The Ministry will be contacting those families these laws would affect in due course.' _

_Since the goblins in Britain have denied the Ministry the right to implement these laws this reporter can't help but think that deatheaters are still going to be among us for some time. _

_Continued on page 9 for a list of deatheaters still at large_

_Turn to page 6 for an interview with Tiberius Ogden a Wizengamot elder._

Addie turned away from the article once she's finished it leaving Mandy to flick on through the pages. She caught her brother's hazel eyes with her blue ones as he looked up from the paper over at the Slytherin table, as the legal head of the Runcorn household it was up to him what they would do next about their father. Their father who was currently on the run from the aurors for being a known deatheater. Addie dropped her eyes and stood with a number of other students who were leaving the hall, still discussing the newspaper, to meet with her brother outside the double doors. A number of his friends were with him, many of them holding the Prophet, 'Ash we need to talk about what we're going to do about father.' she said bluntly.

A/N - Thank you to the 180 people who read this chapter in the one day I had it posted! I squealed, like a 12 year old fan girl when I read that this story has 444 hits and 257 visitors thank you to everyone who has read it. Kate xox


	4. Chapter 4

Hawthorn Riches Chapter 4

Seraphina sat down at the Slytherin table at seven o' clock exactly. Most of her housemates had thought she was mad when they'd first observed her getting up at, according to them 'ridiculously early' hours. The few students who'd agreed with her early starts were now beginning to side with the others. It was Fridays which were their problem; she only had two double periods of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Flying, two subjects which started after lunch. As Theo had told her when he'd gotten up to prepare for his Ancient Runes class which began at nine, totally aghast at seeing her in the common room, 'but that's SEVEN more hours in bed you could have had.'

Her peers didn't know her that well although they were learning, it was just that all the other Slytherins had known each other for years but Seraphina's first year had been her sixth. She'd only started at Hogwarts because under Professor Snape's tenure as headmaster children couldn't be homeschooled. There was only a dozen or so students who'd joined Hogwarts for those reasons. Seraphina lifted up the tea pot to pour herself another cup, the stretch exposing the black mark of one of her tattoos, the rune for fire on her inner wrist, the pair to the water rune on her left pulse point. The great hall was slowly filling up, students filing in looking in differing states of wakefulness. She couldn't understand peoples wish to stay in bed most of the morning. That was one of the best parts of the day! With the morning sun and the birds chirping while the rest of the world slowly started its day, it was just beautiful.

Usually if she were at home and still being taught by her tutor she would be on her first class of the day already. She glanced at her watch, in was half past seven now so she would have just begun her Potions class before moving on to Transfiguration, all before midday! She missed home she decided, as she smiled to Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister Astoria who had sat opposite her chatting over a letter from home. It wasn't as if she had any siblings of her own it was simple things like her family's horses, Calico, Zander and Forbes which she missed riding in the grounds of the house or being able to practice her languages. Hogwarts, she had found out much to her disappointment, was lacking any language classes.

The grounds were the very ones she had used to run around in when she had managed her animagus transformation, of a coyote, two years back when she would have been a 5th year. It was only this summer when they had been able to travel more freely that they had made the journey back to her mother's tribe in the United States, that she had even been able to receive her ritual tribal tattoo. In her families particular wizarding tribe it was something of a right of passage to be able to communicate with the animals through your animagus form, so a tattoo was given once you'd achieved your form as a method of identifying those with the ability. Her mother Tallulah had the wings and claws of her animagus form the prairie falcon on her back on one of her shoulder blades. Her Native American tribe's culture stated that your animagus form had to be tattooed on your body to give you a greater communion with it, the reason Seraphina had had to wait eighteen months for hers was that the symbol and place all depended on the tribes seer who would talk to the spirits to gain the knowledge. She had two of the paw prints of her coyote form on the soles of her feet. None of the students knew about those tattoos, those ones were personal. She couldn't really hide her other ones, not that she wished to or anything she amended silently. Her first one she had received when she turned eleven, the age by which most wizarding children can access their magical core also known as school aged. It was her family tattoo and weaved through the fingers of her wand hand; it along with her coyote tattoo and runes was the last of the solid black ones. Seraphina rubbed her left hand subconsciously as she thought about it. That she's seen, hardly any of the rest of the student body had tattoos, seemed it wasn't the done thing for this generation although in her parents time it was a recognised method of which to keep a spell upon a person, be that a tracking spell, a protective charm or a healing rune. Blaise was one person who came to mind now she thought about it, although she had to admit the memory was slightly fuzzy in places. He had that new one on his shoulder that he'd been showing off at his party on the first night, well that was before he was dragged away from the common room by Daphne and Draco and back to his room. Both who'd felt he'd imbibed that little bit too much firewhisky. According to him as he stood in front of the fire topless and pointing to his tattoo with a grin on his face, it wasn't done the muggle way but was done by a witch in the wizarding area of Morocco, his wasn't charmed to move though, she'd been smug to know, that just meant hers was all the more unusual.

She rested her head on her hand once she'd finished off her breakfast, watching the tables trying to remember who else was inked. There was that Ravenclaw girl Lisa Turpin she thought it was, she had a few dotted up her arms and one on her neck, all of them something she vaguely recognised from Divination but no one had a moving one like she herself had. To be honest she was very proud of that one, the spirals and wavy lines ran up her spine and stopped at the top of her neck. The entire tattoo was charmed as it was done ensuring its protective spells continued and never needed renewing. When a Hufflepuff sitting behind her in class had squealed when they had watched the reddish–brown spirals at the top of her neck as they unfurled themselves, this was sometime last year; Seraphina had been crowded around once they'd left as they'd watched the phenomenon.

She ran a hand through her hair as she stood, quickly picking up her bag which she had packed for going to the library. Seraphina had hoped to catch her Transfiguration teacher before they'd left to teach but she'd gotten distracted. Her bag knocked against her thigh as she left the hall, hurrying as she tried to catch up to the Transfiguration teacher who had just left with the headmistress. She needed to register herself at the ministry if she wanted to use her animagus form and she would need help with that. Seraphina had been putting it off over the period of the war not wanting to give over too much personal information to a corrupt government. Well she said that but her own mother was part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and refused to register, her reasoning being that back home in the U.S it wasn't required so she wasn't going to be doing it here. She sighed at her mother's stubbornness as she turned the corner to try and head off the two professors at the teacher's door.

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Hermione sat on the floor outside her Ancient Runes class where she could see the dark wood of the door, she was early she conceded but it would be so much more helpful if the classroom door was open. It would mean she wouldn't be sitting in an alcove her back resting against the cold stone writing to Harry and Ron, the ink open on the floor and her parchment balanced rather precariously on her knee, where if she pressed down too far her quill would go right through it. The boys had opted for a joint letter she'd read with a grin, the back and forth method reminding her of the notes they used to pass in class. Hermione wasn't really surprised though, over the summer in between helping with the after-effects of the war they'd cleared out and restored almost all of Grimauld Place with the help of Kretcher so it was where she and the boys had been living. Hermione lifted up the letter from where it was propped on her bag, it had been good to get an update on George among other things, she gave up on skimming the letter and settled down to read it again, she still had a good twenty minutes before class.

**Hermione,**

**So how's school, what NEWTs did you decide upon? I can't believe I'm writing that! **_I can't believe you went back, you were there when Kingsley said we could go straight into the Auror program without our Newts weren't you? _**Ron go write your own letter! Anyway don't you remember, Hermione says that NEWTs are a valuable part of our education and that many doors will close for us if we don't have them regardless of whether we are war heroes or not. Aren't you proud Hermione, that was almost word perfect, shows I listen! **_Pfft or that you have a pensive. We found one– okay okay, Kretcher found one down in the basement. It's warded like hell so we can't get near it until you come back but we think it might have belonged to Sirius's mum, she certainly went nutters when we spoke about it going past her. How has school been, miss us yet? Like you thought George is the same as ever, he's still only seeing the rest of the family and Lee Jordan on a good day. Most of the time he's staying in his old room at the Burrow, still not moved into the flat above the shop. George says that he can't face going back to work without Fred yet, the house seems too quiet when I'm over. Mum says hi, we were at the Burrow and she said she wants updates on how you're doing with your education. Don't think she can quite get her head around the fact that Bill, Charlie and Percy were the only ones to take their Newts. I don't think Ginny and Mum see eye to eye on what a proper career is. Dad couldn't be more proud, he keeps going on about how his little girl is a professional quidditch player. Why she couldn't have played for the Chudley Cannons– _** Deal with it Ron she's with the Holyhead Harpies and loving it. **_You only like it because this means she's closer to you! You should hear him Mione as soon as Ginny is mentioned he gets this glassy eyed look and I'm forced to hit him. _**It bloody hurts as well, Gin loves it she says that as of last week she's going to be playing with the team rather than just on the reserve, one of the chasers is off to have a baby. Gin says the captain Gwenog Jones is really strict, wonder how she compares to Oliver Wood. We saw him by the way, the other day in Diagon Alley, he's fully recovered from that curse to his leg, not even a limp, says he'll be back with Puddlemere United this season. As you asked we picked up some books for you, I'll send them out once Spira comes back from Charlie in Romania. Before you ask Ron was borrowing her as we didn't think Pig would manage it! Did you see the Prophet? They're a pain in the ass, sometimes I wish we hadn't removed that paper from under the Ministry's control! King wants to know, as a friend obviously, how the news was taken at Hogwarts. He says you should firecall him and not send a letter, paranoid or what! You should see the damage control trying to be done with Gringott– **_Bill says it's a mess, the goblins were even more controlling before but now he says it's bloody stupid all the protocols being put in place, not that he can talk about them. You got blood typed at the bank didn't you? I can kind of understand that, I mean you were opening an account but they did the same to me and Harry! My vault was there since I was seventeen and Harry has had his since forever. Their faces though…they definitely knew who we were, thought they were going to lock us in at one point! What are you doing for your birthday? Should we firecall you to say hi? It'll be the only one since we were friends that we won't be there for… Kretcher just said, and I quote, 'I'lls will makes Miss Hermione a cake and I'lls tell the Hogwarts elves to make Missus favourites.' Isn't he the best always knew Harry should keep him. That reminds me when are you going to the Hawthorn Estate? You managed to work through the ward details that the solicitors gave you or will you need to use one of the curse breakers from Gringotts? I'm sure you could borrow Bill at some point. You missed out by the way Fleur is pregnant Mum couldn't be more proud. Keeps going on about grandchildren now whenever we see her, Ginny tends to leave at that point. _**That reminds me I visited Teddy on Wednesday, it was the funniest thing, remember how last time he had a cold so when he sneezed his hair changed colour, well this time his nose lengthened! It was the oddest sight, a nose like Snape's on a toddler. Andromeda says it's an effect the pepper up potion has on **_metamorphmagi. Andromeda said that Tonks was the same when she was a baby. Going to have to go, Kretcher's calling us for lunch._

_Have a good birthday when it comes, we'll send out your presents from everyone with Spira and Pig. I'll even stop off at your parents to see if they want me to send anything off. We miss you but we know how you are about your education, so have fun- ____if you can get away from your books! Say hi to everyone and if we don't get the chance to call we should meet up on a Hogsmede weekend.__ Do you know the dates yet? _

_Love Harry ____and Ron _

Blaise sat down in one of the free seats in the large Charms classroom, there was only so much talk he could take about his fellow Slytherins before he hexed someone. The classroom was quickly filling up and his barriers of empty seats were beginning to disappear. He watched as two of them on his right were taken by boyfriend and girlfriend Anona and Zeke, well if he was being technical he should say fiancés. None of their friends had been surprised when the two 7th years had announced their impending marriage in the prophet over the holidays, the two had been going steady for over three years and the entire house was happy for the pair. Blaise saw Terry Boot and his younger brother Giles enter and groaned. A stray sectumsempra from one of the Slytherins on the side of the light had hit Giles and removed part of his left arm. Thankfully it wasn't his wand arm but still to lose your arm from just above the elbow wasn't good regardless. His eyes were drawn again to the rough scar surrounding the area, it was dark and ugly looking. Merlin knew why he wouldn't cover it with a glammer or at least clothing. It was almost as if Giles wanted everyone to stare and be shocked by it and then feel guilty. Well Blaise wasn't going to fall for that from those Ravenclaws he looked the boys in the eyes before letting his gaze roam over their heads almost nonchalantly to the next group who were entering through the door. The other three 8th year Slytherins saw him sitting at the back and made their way over to him, couldn't they see by the two rows of empty seats surrounding him that he wasn't in the mood to socialise as this class usually allowed. The only one to take the hint was Daphne who turned off into one of the other rows to sit with a group of Ravenclaws she studied with. Draco and Theo sat beside him. His jaw clenched as they did so, yes he was totally on their side but that still meant he wanted space. Blaise resolutely faced the front where little Professor Flitwick was working his way through the register. He usually loved Charms but he couldn't wait until it was Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Holbday after lunch. The double period meant they would be practicing spell casting and that meant he could blow off steam without getting a detention for it. He crossed his arms over his chest as Flitwick started explaining the benefits of the particular charm they were learning today. The incantation was written on the board behind the pacing Professor with examples of the charms usage and its benefits being added by the chalk as he watched. Forty minutes Blaise told himself as he glanced at his watch and slouched more in his chair, his long legs stretched out more comfortably and his feet crossed at the ankle under the table as he watched the hypnotic back and forth movement of his teacher.

Hermione was sat on the edge of her bed up in the empty dormitory drying her hair after her shower, thinking over her last class. As a precaution she'd done research on every one of her teachers, just background checks and such, so DADA shouldn't have come as such a shock with a retired hit–wizard as their teacher but still... She swirled her wrist experimentally and winced before going to her trunk and extracting some bruise paste to put on it. As she smoothed in the brown paste she went over the mock duels they had done in class in her head again. They had been given a year group from which they could choose spells before they were set against each other regardless of whether you had 1st year spells in your arsenal or 7th! She'd been stuck with fourth year spells and apparently her speed wasn't good enough according to Professor Holbday who had been observing the four of so duels going on simultaneously. Her partner, Stephen Cornfoot had managed to hit her with an aguamenti a 6th year spell. He had then promptly frozen her wrist holding her wand thus winning the duel. She had not been happy especially when Stephen had been so nice about it afterwards even once the teacher had commended him for his quick thinking. Hermione picked up her bag there was no point in sitting thinking about it when she could be doing something more useful. Checking that the library books she was finished with were actually in her bag and not elsewhere she swiftly picked up her wand which she had placed on her bedside table and left the dorm.

Tapping three times upon the wall at the back of the restricted section and saying aperecium revealed the entrance to another room. Madame Pince had shown Hermione the room at the end of her sixth year when it became apparent that the books she had access to weren't enough. Speaking the password and muttering yet another spell revealed the door to one of the best libraries in the world, rivalled only perhaps by the Ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Being one of a select few students who even knew of its existence meant this was one of the more secluded areas in which she could hide until dinner. Although Hermione's teachers had begun to give out homework and projects to be completed she still had multiple research projects on the go. It was best to keep busy she had decided, kept your mind from wandering off to things best left alone. She made her way down to the ninth level this meant she had quite a walk, as the library started at the top most level and made its way down into the bowels of the school. She had traipsed this way almost daily since returning making up for lost time since she didn't get the chance to even enter in her 7th year. Reaching her destination Hermione carefully removed the book she had been reading last time, it had been one of the few books mentioned in reference to the veil that she had managed to find in her books from Flourish and Blotts. Hermione settled down in one of the many ornate armchairs littering this floor each one with dark tables made out of just as ornate carved wood next to them, with parchment and ink set upon them. She flicked back a few pages to get herself reoriented with the book, her papers from last times research already set out on the table next to her. Yes she murmured to herself remembering reading about the three sisters, Carlotta, Mirabella and Leonora who had inherited the veil next. Their usage of it as a place to put those who had scorned them after torturing them wasn't as bad as some but even so the detail the book went into seemed slightly excessive. Hermione didn't really need to know about the agony that the author thought those who passed through the veil would feel. She was just glad that Harry didn't have access to these books, his tendency to take everything personally wouldn't exactly be helpful here.

A/N – So…yes…ahem…hi guys! Sorry about the wait real life has been slightly hectic. But really two months is what…a sixth of the year basically a drop in the ocean compared to what it could have been! Thanks to all those loyal readers out there, I'd say reviewers too but strangely enough the last chapter got NO reviews even though 60 of you guys read it. Just slightly frustrating when I would appreciate feedback, flames even just a quick hi … Anyway chapter five is in the works shouldn't be such a long wait *finger crossed*

Kate


	5. Chapter 5

Hawthorn Riches Chapter 5

Blaise groaned as he woke up and looked at his surroundings through bleary eyes, four hours sleep was obviously not enough. It wasn't as though he even had to be up for class it was just he had always been unable to sleep past nine, too much energy if he was honest. Wardrobe door closed, check, clothes neatly piled on the desk chair, check which all equals house elves, he thought to himself as he stood on the cool stone. He took in his desk, a mess as usual mainly because the house elves knew not to touch his papers and the other due to his late night searching through multiple books which typically for him required translations. Blaise decided that even though he had time to do some more research he wasn't going to, he was going to go down to the Great Hall stock up on coffee and whatever else they had to offer and then stay in the common room. Hopefully one of his other housemates would have appeared from their rooms by then, lazy sods.

A mug of coffee in one hand and the notes for someone else's plans for a new spell in the other and Blaise was happy to say the morning was looking up. He turned the parchment, which he'd found under one of the low wooden tables dotted around the common room, over looking for a name. Before reading it the dark haired boy would have said it was one of the lower years, because really what self respecting Slytherin left important papers around without some sort of safe guard! Now he was beginning to think it was genuinely forgotten by a seventh year, maybe a sixth at a push, it certainly wasn't one of his year's handwriting. The spell they were working on was obviously a new invention that much was obvious by all the runes and crossings out littering the page, with new details and scribbles squeezed around them. Blaise had managed to follow what the person was attempting to do at the start, although this wasn't the start of the spell work so that made it that much more challenging. He placed his elbow on his knee while the other was already leaning upon his ankle which he'd crossed over his other knee, his mug was empty and his eyes were running down the page again. This was good stuff Blaise realised as he finally figured out where they were headed with the spell. A language spell! The girl was attempting to make it possible to speak a foreign language without the usual rote learning. Well he didn't know for sure if it was a girl but what boy curled his letters that much, the extra loops were entirely unnecessary therefore Blaise was almost certain that it was a girl's handwriting. He brought his wand out and quickly copied the work, he'd transfer it onto another piece of parchment once he got back to his room. Relaxing slightly as the footsteps he'd just heard faded down to the bathrooms, Blaise carefully replaced the parchment where he'd found it, no need for anyone to get worried about it's whereabouts…or that anyone had read it.

* * *

Hermione sat in the Great Hall it was early but she'd needed to check out something for Astronomy before it became too light and it wasn't as if she was going to sleep later or anything. She drank again from her pumpkin juice as a few more students trickled in, few more Hufflepuffs were appearing and joining little Rose Zeller, but apart from them and some over eager Gryffindor Quidditch players the usually busy room was rather quiet. Hermione could hear Richie Coote and his fellow beater Jimmy Peakes talking about different matches they had been to she followed their conversation while the two sixth years were religiously going over the better plays in one match involving the Appleby Arrows and the Falmouth Falcons. Harry and Ron would be proud, not that they'd ever believed that she knew about Quidditch or anything to do with a broom. Just because she was perfectly happy with both feet on the ground didn't mean she couldn't follow the different rules of the game, if they'd ever asked she could have told them exactly who invented the first broom or what blagging was.

It didn't exactly help her lack of interest that most of the people who followed quidditch were either screaming fans, players themselves or has beens – the ex–players or die hard fans of the game. When the boys were playing she'd watch but now there was absolutely no reason for her to even go near the quidditch pitch, she glanced out the window behind her, yes because the chilly September weather with rain showers was exactly when she wanted to be buffeted about on a broom, Hermione scoffed to herself as she reached for the toast rack. The hall was gradually filling with more of the older Ravenclaws, they were probably going to go to library to get a head start on the essay given to them by Professor Flitwick '_What are the differences between the standard protection charm and barrier charm and in what situation would you use them'_. They needn't have hurried downstairs for the library because according to an unnaturally chirpy Madame Pince, the budget from the school of governors was exceedingly generous and Headmistress McGonagall had in turn, been generous towards the library this year as they had been told at the last staff meeting.

Hermione put down her fork, drained the last of her tea and left the great hall, her destination decided upon. She was going to go and visit the house elves she hadn't been down there since she was last at Hogwarts and if the weather didn't brighten up enough for a trip down to Hagrid's later she would go to the practice rooms and work on her ward casting.

* * *

Luna reached into her overcoat pocket and drew out another rat for the jarvey which was slowly drawing itself out from a hole in the ground. It was chattering away quite happily now it realised it had an adoring audience and a steady supply of food.

'Out come the intestines and I'll skip with them. But you should never pet a burning crup.'

Luna watched with a slight smile on her face as the overgrown ferret like creature paused in it's ramblings to finish the rat, the grey jarvey now lying at her feet. This was the first time she'd seen a jarvey, but Hagrid had said that there were a number of them in the Forbidden Forest. She could see what he meant now, as long as you ignored their rudeness and had food for them they were easy to find. Luna tried a simple question, they weren't known for their intelligence, 'Do you want more?'

The jarvey stretched onto its hind legs, and twitched it's nose. 'As an outsider what do you think of the human race? Blood is best kept in the body. Your conversation is like the waves of the sea. It makes me sick!'

Luna tossed the last rat onto the ground and said goodbye to the jarvey, they would usually go for gnomes but this was free food. It finished the rat in record time waited for a moment as if for more before it scuttled back into the ground. Although not before leaving Luna with a parting shot 'I'll never forget the first time we met - although I'll keep trying.' Luna smiled as she made her way back onto the path, yes she'd made a good friend this morning.

Walking past Hagrid's hut she could just see the greenhouses, Luna waved to Neville but stopped when she noticed he seemed to be having a bit of trouble with one of the plants. It looked to her like the Venomous Tentacula, its spiked vines rushing towards Neville who was sending spells at it when it got too close. Luna's eyes widened in shock when one of the vines split open at the end revealing a mouth with fangs in it and spikes surrounding it. Luna was still to far away to help but as she watched Professor Sprout came bustling out of the greenhouse her wand held high her pink fluffy earmuffs still on. Behind her came Zara Brine a 7th year Hufflepuff who was also wearing earmuffs but this time she was holding a decimated mandrake plant in one hand her wand already sending spells at the hybrid plant. Between the three Herbology enthusiasts they managed to battle the plant into submission with an immobilising spell finally being placed upon it. As she made her way up to them she could hear Professor Sprout's disapproving tone, '–gave you a chance but now it's going to be next year before you're let out here again!' The teacher levitated the plant back inside the greenhouse while Zara and Neville spoke gesturing to the mandrake still in Zara's hand. Luna crested the hill and joined Neville as he was leaving the greenhouses. 'Neville are you going back to the castle? I am I was just talking with a jarvey in the forest– fascinating conversation.'

Neville looked slightly wary but answered her, 'Yeah got to go get cleaned up and go to the hospital wing.' He raised his arm and showed her a rip in his arm where the hybrid plant had managed to get through his protective gear. 'It's only young the Fanged Venomous Tentanium, still teething really but we figured it might want some of the fresh air before the winter really sets in. You know with it being a cross between a Fanged Geranium and the Venomous Tentacula, but as you probably saw it went slightly berserk! Grew it myself over the summer, he added getting into his stride, 'but it hasn't really settled into Hogwarts yet – didn't do well under forced hibernation on the train– but Gran didn't want it staying at home so I had to bring it here.'

Luna nodded understandingly at Neville, smiling to herself as they entered the castle. He was usually so quiet but whenever you spoke about Herbology he always spoke out more. Neville continued on seemingly unconcerned with her silence, 'Zara and Professor Sprout just found out we have an infestation of dunbogs– they eat mandrakes by the way.' He said when Luna just looked confused. 'So we're going to have to get rid of those at some point. We're re–potting all of the mandrakes we can at the moment so we don't lose the entire supply!' Luna remembered doing that in her second year and it was a boring and time consuming job. They were at the top of the marble staircase now so she said goodbye to Neville as he climbed more stairs to get to the Hospital Wing. She was going back to Ravenclaw tower to see what she could do with the jarvey hairs she had collected.

* * *

'Shit!' Hermione pushed up her sleeves of her jumper, checked the rather painful welts appearing on her arms from her failed attempt. A frown was forming on her face as she tried again. This spell wasn't going to beat her; it had almost worked last time. So yes it was a rather obscure branch of magic, which probably would have been better suited to someone who was in their second or even third year of apprenticeship to a Ward Master, so sue her she was stubborn.

The Gryffindor raised her wand, which now worked perfectly fine for her considering it didn't choose her, and tried again, the Latin words flowing perfectly. She suppressed the squeal of delight she wanted to give as a dark blue light shot from her wand. The light grew as Hermione pushed more power behind it, feeling the rush of her magic as the spell grew into a glittering net which fell upon the box she had warded and placed at the opposite end of the room. The dark net fell upon the mahogany wood and made it look as if it was wrapped in midnight blue Christmas lights. As she finished the spell and let go of the anchor it sparked drawing into it an iridescent petrol spill type of colour. Hermione's ward on the box was almost lifted she stepped forward in excitement, when it suddenly sparked and then shone such a bright white that it hurt her eyes. Well she would certainly remember that when it came to breaking the wards on the Hawthorn Estate. She rubbed her eyes before sending a quick diagnostic charm at the box, just to be sure all her wards had gone; she wasn't going to be caught out a second time. There had been some nasty spells on that box, and she was lucky she only had red marks dotted all over her. Hermione quickly interpreted the diagnostic charm, nothing. She'd done it! She laughed out loud to herself at he thought on the Gringotts goblins faces when she showed them what she could manage. Hermione wasn't oblivious of the image she would give to anyone if they could see her now, prim and proper Hermione laughing to an empty room covered in red dots her hair, which was tamed this morning making a bid for freedom. Phah and they thought she would need a ward breaker, they like Ron had offered the services of Bill Weasley one of their best ward breakers but for a price. Well she would be owling Gringotts immediately and telling them she definitely wouldn't be needing their services!

* * *

Neville sat on one of the beds in the Hospital wing as he waited for Madame Pomfrey to receive whatever potions it was from his storeroom. He was starting to get cold waiting, it was September in a cold castle and his shirt had been immediately removed when the nurse had seen the blood. Once he had told her that it was a new breed of plant which had bitten him, both of which were poisonous, she had gone into full healer mode. He could hear her from the ward muttering about dangerous plants and students being left to handle them without the proper equipment. He'd tried to tell her that he's grown the plant himself and that Professor Sprout had come out and helped when it got over excited but she had promptly told him to hush and to drink a neutralising potion. Neville not wanting to be on the bad side of the nurse had chocked down the orange coloured, definitely not flavoured, syrup and was now waiting for her to come back with something just as disgusting for him to drink. The grey haired witch appeared at his bedside with a green paste which he thought was for the cut on his arm. 'Stick out your tongue Mr. Longbottom, I need to see if the poison is still at a dangerous level.' He tried not to grimace as the lumpy paste fizzed on his tongue for a moment before dissolving completely and leaving a surprising minty flavour behind. Neville couldn't help the slightly shocked expression which came over his face as the witch told him he was in the clear. 'Not everything in here tastes bad. Now you should go get cleaned up and then rest for the day.' she said as she healed the bite with her wand. 'You'll start to feel lethargic, tired, so rest. And no going back down to the greenhouses, if you get bitten again I don't want to see you until at least Monday. Now I know you're not a 1st year anymore so I trust you to do as I say, got it Mr. Longbottom.' Madame Pomfrey said waving her wand in his direction as she repaired his shirt.

Neville agreed quickly, he would go up to the tower and read as she suggested. Maybe if he got bored he would tend to a couple of plants he was trying to make immune from the parasitic plant Cuscuta, the magical variety which was vampire like in nature. He had them tucked away in a room with shutters he could open, in one of the unused rooms off the Gryffindor common room. Neville had done this as soon as he realised they attacked out in the dark. He did up the last of his buttons on his shirt and left the Hospital wing. He would have just a quick look at the plants he decided, maybe note down a couple of things from the observation spell he had running over them and then he would shower and go down for lunch.

* * *

The Slytherin table was almost empty at this end, the end closest to the doors and coincidently furthest from teacher's ears. It had been like that for years, one of Slytherin's unspoken rules that when you needed to talk at the table it was done nearest the exit.

All the siblings in Hogwarts who were affected by the ministry law were sitting huddled together but Asher wasn't taking any chances with it and waved for his sister to follow him when they made eye contact across the hall.

It was beginning to look like an easy decision for Asher although Addie wasn't quite so convinced. They'd been sat for hours now in one of the conference rooms on the third floor which he had found years ago, arguing about what was the best way to get their father out of the picture. Asher just wanted him gone, dead preferably. He'd messed up too many times as a parent to be welcomed back and hidden from the ministry. It was surprisingly enough his little Ravenclaw sister who was showing a more vindictive side, she wanted their father to suffer as they did during the years he was off being the Dark Lord's lapdog.

He shot a cushioning charm surreptitiously at the chair he was on and made himself more comfy, perching his feet on the edge of the railing which surrounded the tiered seats. Addie was in full rant now shooting hexes at the curtains when they billowed out under the wind, and sending glares up at Asher every now and then, her blue eyes flashing. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew he could take her, not necessarily in a fair fight, he would be worried at the direction of her spell casting.

'Ash we couldn't go home at holidays for fear of father and all His death eater's being around. Do you remember when I was stuck inside one of the pensive mirrors for hours watching all their sick memories? Do you remember seeing and hearing their rituals every time we passed the main staircase. Or when our _own_ house Asher was booby trapped against us one Christmas. It's our house now and _you_ just want him dead!' Addie by this point was storming up and down the pathway. She sent a hex at Asher's feet, missing by centimetres, causing him to flinch and move his feet to the ground. He stood and walked down to where she was, sitting himself on the long table.

He tried to get his sister to calm down, it was simple solution really, and they'd made enough friends over the years with people who had connections. They certainly knew people who could help them out. Ash attempted to explain this to Adelaide, 'Look we'll just put the word out about him. It'll be more effective than the bloody ministry anyway. How about if– Stop bloody pacing! Thank you. As I was saying, how about if we send a letter to Vina and Hilda and see what they can find? A few weeks at the most and we'll have news okay.'

Adelaide nodded once grudgingly. The two women, mother and daughter had a shop off Knockturn Alley. Asher was never really sure what they sold exactly, probably best not to ask, but they had the contacts for trackers and did the best tracking and srying spells. 'But if it doesn't,' Addie said her wand flickering as she pointed it in his direction, 'we're doing it my way.' Asher knew that her way would include lots of pain and then finally the ministry and dementors. 'There's no freaking way,' she continued, 'that I'm having that…man use the money _we_ built up after _he_ squandered it away on a lost cause.' Well Asher thought, decision made, and that was only after three hours.

* * *

A/N - Hope you guys all enjoyed review tell me what you think. But just to let you know, I may be a bit slower updating next time as I've got a few exams comming up. Anyway just the usual any mistakes please let me know, becasue I don't have a beta so it's only my proof reading skills at work! Kate xox


	6. Chapter 6

This was stupid, Draco thought as he checked another empty classroom on the 5th floor. On one of his precious free evenings, where he had no homework, and he was stuck patrolling the corridors. Astoria Greengrass had been making eyes at him in the common room, he could be there but oh no, he had to be a prefect.

He fixed his robes before going on to the next door. First thing tomorrow he was going to see his Head of House and give in his prefect badge, Professor Sinistra could moan all she wanted about the honour of being chosen but he couldn't care less. It wasn't like he even had the prospect of being head boy, that mudblood got it. Something Trivers, either Matthew or Alexander he couldn't tell them apart, the Ravenclaw one anyway.

He turned into a different corridor ignoring the complaints of the portraits whose sleep he was disturbing. Draco didn't care; his sleep could have been disrupted in a much more enjoyable fashion than this with Astoria. They could suffer along with him and anyway you'd think they'd be used to it by now all the years they'd been hanging there.

He stopped suddenly and whispered nox the light disappearing from his wand, moving more stealthily towards a closed door. He checked the door for spells, none, before opening it with a blast of air from his wand.

He was greeted with the sight of some guy's ass. Definitely a sight he didn't need to see. A blonde head peeked over the boys shoulder, 'Ahh Miss. Wilcox, you'd think you'd be more careful it's only the second week of term. That will be 10 points from Hufflepuff for being out after curfew.' he drawled as the boy turned around.

A sheepish grin was sent his way from Phillip who he now recognised, 'Mr. Roper 10 points from Slytherin.'

Ignoring the shocked look from the two 6th years, it was practically unheard of for him to take points fairly, never mind from Slytherin. He twirled his wand lazily in his hand as they scrambled to get fully dressed again.

He shot them a scathing look once they were standing next to him, 'You both have five minutes to get back to your dormitories or it's a further 20 points off, I'll be checking with the portraits in the morning.'

When they still hadn't moved he spoke again, 'Best run I started counting when I entered the room!' He smirked at the power he held over them, maybe there were still some benefits to being a prefect. They'd raced off down the stairs towards their respective common rooms, served them right for getting caught.

He stormed down a different corridor, his wand clenched in his hand, again looking out for more couples in rooms and alcoves. If he wasn't getting any nobody was.

* * *

Megan awoke rather suddenly to the sound of screams. She glanced at her clock as she rolled out of bed, ten to four in the morning lovely, grabbing her wand from the bedside table in the process. Checking the bed beside her, she found it was empty. She ran down the stairs where she found Hermione curled up and shaking next to an armchair.

Practice made her cast 'silencio' at the sleeping girl and then a 'protego' around herself. The two spells would seriously hinder Hermione, who was still screaming, her mouth moving but with no sound.

Megan tried to rouse her, calling her name before sighing and reaching out for her arm. After a few seconds Hermione awoke pushing herself even further into the red material.

Her wand had appeared in her hand from her holster and a spell was on her lips. After a few tense seconds Megan removed the silencing charm. She hated seeing Hermione like this and she hated having to cast spells on her when she was in so much distress but the first, and last, time she hadn't she'd had all her fingernails removed with a rather vicious hex.

Hermione's brown eyes widened as she took in her surroundings, 'I'm sorry. I was reading up on the Hawthorns. I must have drifted off. And then– oh god– and then I was back there and…' she said to Megan with a hitch in her voice.

The shimmering blue light of the protection charm fell as Megan reached for her shaking friend to hold her. 'It's okay. We're safe. We won.' she repeated over and over like a mantra.

She lifted her wand again once Hermione had let go of her arm and summoned Madame Pomfrey's potions from Hermione's bedside. She selected the bottle of calming draught and watched carefully as Hermione gulped down the prescribed cap full.

The two of them pushed themselves off the floor, Hermione still slightly shaky, and made their way up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Megan sent Hermione off to the showers; she'd followed her up the stairs and had watched as she rubbed her arms unconsciously trying to clean herself from whatever the nightmare had been. Megan opened Hermione's hangings to get her night clothes from underneath her pillow; it seemed she'd never made it upstairs last night.

Tomorrow at the earliest Hermione could manage she would be back to the hospital wing to talk with Madame Pomfrey, Megan thought as she entered the already steamy bathroom. She put Hermione's clothes down on a chair before turning to the mirrors and grabbing her hairbrush.

'Hermione. You done yet?' There was a groan from the pipes and then a squeak from the shower as it turned off completely. Megan glanced up into the mirror as a pink faced Hermione exited the stall wrapped in a big blue towel.

'Yeah I'm done. Thanks by the way, you know for waking me up.' Hermione said as she reached for her night clothes.

'Its fine, you know it is.' Meagan said putting down her brush and walking out of the bathrooms to give her some privacy as she changed. She paused just before she left, 'Do you wanna talk about it…'

'Gods no!' Hermione said rather quickly. 'Thanks but living it once was enough, I don't even know if I could.'

Megan nodded again and left, crawling into bed with a long drawn out sigh. This had been the first incidence of a nightmare since they'd been to see Madame Pomfrey last week and they were just as horrible as before the potions.

Hermione had shared with Megan that next time she had a nightmare, Pomfrey wanted her to return to the hospital wing to discuss different medication. Megan didn't really understand the horrors that Hermione had gone through over the last year or so, apart from the battle at Hogwarts Megan had been pretty sheltered from it all. But Merlin she hoped they could get something that helped Hermione.

* * *

Draco seemed to be in another of his moods Blaise noted over the top of the paper he'd swiped off a younger student. As he watched the blond boy stabbed his eggs rather viciously with a hint of the scowl on his face showing under his hair. Blaise followed his line of sight but didn't see anything noteworthy just the end of the Slytherin table and the teachers who were also eating breakfast. It wasn't his problem, all Blaise had to do was stay out of his way until it had all blown over.

He kept one eye on Draco who had moved on to attacking his sausages and served himself some more coffee. He'd just picked up a piece of toast and taken a bite when Draco spoke to him, gesturing to the Daily Prophet. 'Anything good in there?'

Blaise finished his mouthful before replying, 'Not really had a chance to look yet.' There was something about there being more marriages then there were since the last war but somehow Blaise didn't think that would be what he wanted to hear about. He flicked through a couple of pages till he got to a story about the ministry and a new nature reserve.

'Hold up listen to this. _'It has come to the ministry's attention that a large number of magical beasts have escaped into the muggle community and surrounding wizarding areas. If any sightings have been made, of any animals in areas in which they should not, please contact the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.' _Draco and Blaise shared a grin at this.

'Ministry shouldn't have decided that a nature reserve was a good idea to deal with all the beasts left in death eater camps. I mean what did they expect? They were trained by Gibbon of course they would escape!' Draco finished lifting up his glass of pumpkin juice and downing it as if he wished it was something stronger.

'I'm telling you when my father hears about this he'll – Well he'll be glad he's no longer with them, the place has gone to the dogs now.'

Blaise laughed nervously for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure whether Draco was talking about the ministry or the death eaters, probably best not to ask. But it was true that the ministry had taken in all these stray beasts after the war. In the misguided hope that it could bring in enough money to help cover their debts, as if the cost of people seeing these beasts in a secure environment would cover it.

'They're fools. I don't even do Care of Magical Creatures and I knew that it would be a bad idea.'

He could just imagine what Lewis Gibbon had trained them to do, shame he'd died in the battle because the ministry would probably pay good money to find out as well.

Blaise lifted his bag and waited for Draco to do the same before walking out of the hall. They passed the hourglasses which held the Slytherin emeralds which reminded Blaise of a rumour he'd heard just before school.

'You know the Hawthorns?' He didn't even wait for a reply; he was the only one who really had an interest in the old families. 'You know they married into the Blacks, one of the old aunts that donated her jewels to the school. That's where the gems for the hourglass come from. Well anyway, I heard from Hattie– Harriett Crosby the editor of The Galleon.' he added when Draco still looked blank. 'That an heir had been found for that family. Hattie couldn't tell me who, just that the Gringotts elves were all over the place trying to get their business.'

Draco looked more interested at this news. He better be Blaise thought. It was the sign of one bloody brilliant friendship when a Slytherin gave up information for nothing.

* * *

Draco kept eye contact with Professor Belby not believing what he was hearing.

'You mean to say that the entire class failed.' Draco corrected the man who he was beginning to majorly dislike. He watched with sharp eyes as the man moved around the desks to stand directly in front of him, gesturing with a quill.

'I mean exactly what I said. Only Mr. Runcorn's base is suitable to be sent off. You were closest but you were sloppy, kept the base on the heat for too long. Judging by it's consistency I would say over the required two minutes, yes?' he said obviously waiting for some sign of agreement.

Draco scowled and ignored the looks from his classmates. This was ridiculous he'd been making potions since he was tall enough to see over a cauldron. His mother had thought it a nice normal past time which would keep him out from under her feet all the time. Snape had even taught him some potions which were beyond NEWT level although they had never brewed the Wolfsbane base.

Snape who was the youngest potions master in over a century at twenty–one, who brewed potions for the Dark Lord, had said Draco had a rare talent. He had said if he continued he could be a potions master before he was twenty–five. What right did this man have to tell him his work was 'sloppy'! All this man did was teach potions. He didn't even have any work published himself. The Wolfsbane potion was his brother's potion and all he did was piggy back on its fame.

A kick from Blaise stopped him dead in his internal rant. He swallowed the sharp retort which he had been about to spill. He could just see Blaise in the corner of his eye and his face said play nice, he got the hint. He could do this; he'd learned from his father how to irritate a person and agreed with the faintly surprised Gryffindor.

'Yes you must be right Professor Belby. Potions are your area of expertise.' he said with a gracious smile and a nod in the professor's direction, who was straightening with his quill in his hand again. The idiot man didn't know that he was just getting started.

'You invented, oh I'm sorry your brother invented this potion so you know all the little nuances. I'll do better in the future in any further potions and if there is the chance to redo this potion base I'll improve. Obviously being a potions master, my apologies, potions professor,' he watched with barely concealed glee as the man's jaw tightened, 'you're the best qualified to tell me my mistakes, so thank you for letting me know of the inaccuracies in my potion.' Draco finished looking up at the man who he could tell was running over his comments again.

Yes he had just insulted the man many times in ways only a Malfoy could. He held in the smirk which was threatening to bloom on his face and waited for the class to be dismissed.

~0~0~0~

Draco lounged back further in one of the armchairs by the fire, his legs thrown over one of the arms. He didn't have class for another hour or so and he was going to relax. It was just after lunch and he had just re-enacted his potions lesson to a bunch of younger Slytherins who had been hanging on to his every word. Nothing like a bunch of gullible students to make a day better! He felt the top of the chair dip as Theo leaned on it, 'You don't think that was a bit of an exaggeration of the event?' Theo asked a wry smile on his face.

Draco scoffed and watched as another flame freezing spell was shot into the fire by a group of 5th years, except this time it held. 'For all those little 3rd years know he could have thrown a cauldron at the class. I'm just here to warn them about the dangers of Gryffindor professors.' He shared a grin with the tall, lanky boy. 'You know I think Belby should be thanking me!'

'And just how did you get to that conclusion?'

'Well now his classes are all going to be perfectly behaved for fear of him throwing another cauldron.' A wicked grin flickered across his face, 'Oh did I say cauldron before, my mistake, I meant quill!'

* * *

Megan lifted one end of the box that Hagrid had instructed them to bring over just at then end of class, while Stephen Cornfoot one of Ravenclaw's reserve chasers lifted the other. They would have levitated the box of fairies but magic didn't react well with them as they had just found out.

The class had watched in shock as Lisa Turpin had skidded across the grass towards the forest after attempting to levitate a box of fairies towards the bird they would be fed to. Once the Ravenclaw had stopped moving they could see that the distance between Lisa and the fairies hadn't changed although the box was now noticeably closer to the rest of the group.

Hagrid had then decided that fairy magic didn't work well with wizarding magic and that they should carry the boxes over to the Augurey, who had spent the entire time watching them with bright black eyes.

'If I hadn't read through that journal article I would have thought Hagrid was trying to kill us!' Megan said wincing slightly as one of the fairies nipped at her fingers which were inside the box.

'Did you see Anthony's face when the Augery cried? Thought he was going to keel over!' Stephen said with a huff as they set down the box at Hagrid's feet. 'It would have been nice if he could have told us that we weren't going to die upon hearing it.' Stephen muttered to her as they turned back towards the castle again.

Megan grinned in response. It had been obvious that most of the class hadn't read the footnotes in the textbook, which told them of the recent discovery that Augery's cries didn't herald death but rain.

On cue the skies opened and the downpour began, soaking the students who weren't fast enough to get under cover. Megan grabbed her bag more tightly over her shoulder and ran up the grass towards the castle steps. She stopped and burst out laughing however when Stephen fell forwards on the muddy grass. 'Shut it Jones and keep moving!' he said lifting himself up quickly. They ran again more mindful of the treacherous grass, before reaching the cover of the entrance way of the castle.

'Filth!' cried a voice as they made it into the entrance hall. The large oak doors, charmed by Flitwick, closed themselves behind them. '…and more grass and mud…when I catch those students, my sweet.'

They shared rather panicked looks with each other as Filch the caretaker appeared round the corner, Mrs Norris at his heels. 'Well what have we here.' Filch said his eyes glinting from them to the doors where more unsuspecting students were appearing trailing mud. 'Students defiling the castle, you'd think you'd have a bit of respect now you're no longer the snot nosed little bra-'

'Argos Filch!' Professor McGonagall's voice rang out clearly. Megan honestly couldn't say she when she was happier to see the Headmistress. 'If you would be so kind as to go up to the 3rd floor, one of the prefects just told me that Peeves has persuaded the suits of armour to carry out mock duels upon anyone to pass them.'

Megan watched with great relief as the caretaker stalked up the stairs, only after being reassured that the students would be 'dealt with'. The Care of Magical Creatures class and the 4th year Herbology students looked at the stern looking woman who was wielding a wand at them. Megan controlled the urge to cast at the Professor as a large yellow circle appeared which expanded to touch the floor and rose to be the size of a regular door.

'Well what are you waiting for, a written invitation? Everyone through this and into the Great Hall for lunch or would you rather clean up the mess yourselves?'

There was a slight struggle at the back where a few students were making their way towards the spell which gave everything behind it a yellow tint. Megan watched as the first few students to pass through the other side of the spell were miraculously clean, their clothes looking fresher as they made their way into the Great Hall for lunch.

* * *

By lunchtime Draco's day was looking up, but only very slightly. He'd made two Ravenclaws up in the owlery cry when he'd entered in a rush and found them sending out orders to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. He hated that entire redheaded family, although now after the war he had to show how accepting he was. Bloody unlikely. After taking points of them, he'd now decided that being a prefect was again worth it, he'd taken the hint from Blaise, and had owled a few contacts. Just to see if he could get any more info on this heir to the Hawthorn line. It could be bad for his business connections if it turned out they had a controlling share in any of the businesses he was thinking about buying out.

He watched the doors as a large group of students piled through, grinning and congratulating each other like they'd single handedly defeated the Dark Lord. Scowling at them he picked up his fork again, not particularly interested in whatever it was they had done. He could see Megan Jones turning to Granger and re-enacting something which caused Cornfoot to throw a roll from the Ravenclaw table. His accuracy no doubt helped by being a chaser, caused it to hit her on the head. Flitwick was making his way down to his house table, his eyes narrowed. Draco couldn't help but watch the spectacle they were making, it was like a broom crash, you knew what was going to happen but you still had to watch.

Leah Parker a pretty little 6th year who had absolutely no chance with him was still prattling away in his ear. Regardless that she was only a second generation pureblood and would therefore not be invited to the McMillan annual ball. He nodded, made eye contact, smiled at the girl to show he was listening and went back to ignoring her. No point it showing she was an annoying bint, she did have some political connections on her mothers side.

'Draco! You with us or what?' He looked up to see Theo and Anthony waiting for him. Thank Merlin. He made his excuses to the simpering red head and followed the Ravenclaw to the practice rooms near the Charms corridor where they could work on their casting.

It had previously been one of those closely guarded secrets that only the staff and house members knew of but the Headmistress had decided that secrets fostered deceit and so made it public knowledge about Rowena Ravenclaw's rooms that she herself had created. Oh there were other rooms, passageways and a whole number of other objects that had become public knowledge, not that they could access them all. No they just knew about them and Hogwarts as a whole could hate those lucky few who had express permission.

He waited, rather patiently he thought, tapping his wand against his arm for Goldstein to bring up the shield he was supposed to be perfecting. Theo was flicking through the charms textbook, absentmindedly looking for some ideas. Draco raised his wand, not really caring if the Ravenclaw was prepared.

'I'm ready...oh wait…no this time I'm good.' it flickered a few times before sending out a steady gold shine.

No Draco was not sore about certain people's access to the Forgotten Library, he thought casting another jinx which was again deflected by the shield. No the fact that Granger still seemed to be reaping the benefits of being a 'war hero' certainly did not cause him to blast a whole in a tapestry, resulting in a detention for the destruction of school property. He shot another spell at the shield, which buckled under the stinging hex but held, before reluctantly stepping aside so Theo could try.

No Draco was in no way affected by the blatant favouritism being shown. His wand let out a few loud blue sparks, he made a continuing motion with his hand when the two boys stopped to look. It was times like these that he missed Snape, the good old days, when you could hex a Gryffindor and get points awarded.

* * *

'Yet again let me remind you that, Pierce's Fourth Law on equating was very specific about the order in which you should calculate the second equation.' Professor Vector repeated, looking around the class.

Hermione watched as a piece of parchment with a hole in it was lifted and waved around, catching the professor's attention immediately.

'What have you done Mr. Zabini? Did I not explicitly say last lesson to be careful about the power behind the Dewar code…let me see your fingers…no you are not alright…Hospital Wing I'm not having one of my students lose a finger!'

Hermione suppressed a snort as Blaise carefully placed his books into his bag and left the room closely watched by the red haired woman. 'Idiot.' she muttered, who didn't know about the Dewar Code.

'Got a problem there Granger?' Draco was looking rather fiercely around Luna who seemed totally at ease with the wand he was directing past her. Hermione would have been apprehensive if it weren't for the fact she had decided five years ago he was a spineless git.

'Nope.' she said deliberately popping the out the word to irritate him. When it seemed he was still willing to hit her with a spell she glanced over his shoulder a look of shock on her face. She watched with glee as he automatically hid his wand and turned to grovel to the teacher who was still at the door oblivious. Malfoy had been looking rather jumped up recently, not that she herself was exactly healed.

She was beginning to get bored with the usual school life and it was only a few weeks in, not that she would ever admit it. Her pride wouldn't take the numerous 'I told you' from the boys. She was up to date on all her course work and home work, and apart from a few unusual friendships which seemed to have cropped up school was the same as before. All she had to do was wait until she could access the Hawthorn estate, all the required forms were completed and nobody was going to stop her getting all the possible information she could.

'It's the wrackspurts again.' Luna said knowingly twirling her radish earrings. Hermione just nodded it wasn't worth the effort trying to persuade Luna otherwise.

* * *

A/N – Updated eventually (see profile for excuses although I prefer to call them reasons) please review and let me know what you think. A big thank you to all my previous reviewers and all you readers. Anyone want to be a beta? It would cut down on the time I spend editing it myself.


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